Sure, your kid has a sandbox shovel, but what about the big projects? Wouldn’t a steel crane come in handy? You bet it would. The base has three wheels and spins 360 degrees. How I wish they made one of these for grownups.

We went camping recently, and friends brought along this handy travel-Scrabble game, so we could play by the campfire. The tiles snap into their racks, and the ridges on the board are deeper, so you can even play while you’re in transit. Plus, it’s itty bitty, so you can slip it right into your backpack and still have room for the Scrabble Dictionary. Nerd.

This smoke alarm lets you record a message in your own voice, using your kids’ names. You can call to them, or provide instructions in your own voice. When the detector senses smoke, it sounds an alarm, plays your message loudly, and switches on a bright light. Extra-annoying when you burn the toast, but a potential life-saver when it wakes your deepest sleeper in a fire.

This is my everyday perfume because it wakes me up after a morning shower, but fades quickly, leaving the after scent on my clothes. It smells the way your hands would smell after peeling a lemon, but without the sharp edge. Like tart lemon icing while it’s still warm, just before you pour it over the pound cake.

A doodad that attaches to the back of your iPod and stores your headphones in a neat coil. You can leave it on or remove it at whim, because it’s attached with extra-strength Velcro. The Velcro itself attaches with a rubber adhesive, which the manufacturer claims will come off without leaving any kind of mark.

You can touch your nose; you can pretty much walk a straight line; you can say the alphabet backward; you can… crash your car into a phone pole. Maybe you’ve only had a couple drinks, but once you’ve had anything at all, you’re in no position to judge your sobriety. So, if you must drive, at least keep one of these on hand. The Digital Keychain Breath Alcohol Detector tests your breath alcohol content with the push of a button. So it’s totally easy to use when you’re wasted.